Hanmer Springs Ski Area, located on Mount Saint Patrick,
South Island,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
is a
club skifield
In New Zealand, a club skifield is a small ski resort run by a ski club to provide affordable skiing to its members. While members of the public can ski, members of the club receive heavily discounted rates, in exchange for a yearly membership fee ...
17km (about 35 minutes' drive) from the town of
Hanmer Springs
Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means “where the ashes of Tamate’s (sic) fire lay ...
. It has New Zealands longest Poma lift at over 800m, a nutcracker rope tow and a new beginners fixed grip rope tow, giving access to trails rated as 10% beginner, 60% intermediate and 30% advanced. Elevation is 1769m at the top of the field with 52ha of ski terrain (310m vertical elevation).
The 1000 metre long Poma lift was installed in 1981. It was purchased second hand from
Whakapapa Ski Field and installed by volunteers. All the holes for the towers were dug by hand.
The facilities are run by the Amuri Ski Club Inc, a volunteer non-profit sports club for locals and visitors, with all proceeds from receipts being put back into upgrading facilities each year. The ski field was established in 1957. A groomer is used throughout the season which usually runs from the end of June until about mid September each year. There is a natural terrain park used by both skiers and snowboarders.
The Hanmer Springs Ski Area was the first ski field to open in early June 2021 after a big snowfall brought snow to the field.
Services
Daily lessons are available and ski hire can be obtained from both the mountain and the village. A daily shuttle runs for those who are not confident on an alpine road, chains must be carried at all times and fitted when directed.
References
External links
Official website
Ski areas and resorts in Canterbury, New Zealand
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